The Karnataka government has approved the introduction of Lower Kindergarten (LKG) and Upper Kindergarten (UKG) classes in 581 government schools for the 2026-27 academic year, expanding access to pre-primary education through the state school system.
The School Education and Literacy Department issued guidelines on October 30 covering admission eligibility, class timings, teaching methods, staff appointments and student welfare. The programme will be funded under the Samagra Shikshana Karnataka scheme.
Each selected school will have one LKG section and one UKG section. Classes will follow a bilingual, activity-based approach, with schools required to prepare classrooms and provide appropriate teaching and learning materials before starting the programme.
Age limit and enrolment rules
Children aged four to five years will be eligible for LKG. Each section can accommodate a maximum of 40 students, but at least 10 eligible children must enrol for a section to open.
Schools that do not meet the minimum enrolment requirement in the current academic year will have to defer the launch of the relevant section until the following academic year.
Classes will run from 10 am to 3.30 pm. Schools will use bilingual activity books, including the Balachaitanya materials, and incorporate play-based exercises into classroom teaching.
Two teachers and one assistant per school
The government has approved the temporary appointment of two teachers and one ayah, or assistant, in each of the 581 schools. The appointments will run for 10 months, until March 31 of the relevant academic year.
Teachers will receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 12,000, while assistants will receive Rs 6,250 per month.
Candidates applying for teaching posts must have passed the Pre-University Course (PUC) examination with at least 50 per cent marks and hold a recognised qualification in nursery education, pre-school teacher education or early childhood education. A B.Ed. in Nursery Education is also among the accepted qualifications. The maximum age limit for teacher applicants is 45 years.
If candidates with the prescribed pre-primary teaching qualifications are unavailable, the guidelines allow consideration of candidates who have completed PUC with at least 50 per cent marks and hold an eligible Diploma in Education.
Applicants for assistant posts must have passed SSLC. The posts are intended for eligible local women below 45 years of age. Recruitment will be conducted through a selection process involving education officials and school representatives.
Midday meals, milk and supplementary nutrition
The programme also provides for nutritional support for children enrolled in the new sections. Students are to receive hot-cooked midday meals, milk under Karnataka's Ksheera Bhagya scheme and supplementary nutrition, including eggs, in accordance with the prescribed provisions.
Schools must register pre-primary students on the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+). Daily attendance will be recorded through the NITRANTHARA app under the Student Facial Attendance Monitoring System.
District and taluk-level officials will monitor enrolment, staffing, attendance and the availability of classroom facilities. The department has also outlined procedures for verifying staff qualifications and appointment records.
Part of a wider pre-primary expansion
In November 2025, the state issued an order to introduce pre-primary classes in another 4,056 government schools, with implementation planned for the 2026-27 academic year.
That expansion included schools under Samagra Shikshana Karnataka, PM SHRI, the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board and Karnataka Public Schools. The latest approval specifies the arrangements for 581 schools, including class sizes, staffing and teaching materials.